Entries
by LeaDenise
Summary: Amber has lost so much, just like every other survivor. With her little group, she survives in the world and holds on to the last bit of humanity she has left. When they save a teenage girl, their lives become even more dangerous as new threats are brought to them and old ones are renewed. With more people comes more tension, and it's the last thing Amber wants.
1. Prolouge

Prologue

_Whispering, sneaking, and creeping_

_That's the only way to live in the world nowadays. You can't be loud unless you want to get captured. No one really knows what happened three years ago, we just know it made people go crazy. People kill people, people hurt people, people rape people, and people eat people. Well, I guess when you put it that way the world hasn't changed all that much. Me? I've only killed and hurt because I had to, not for sport. _

_I'm not an angel, Lord knows that, but I'm a hell of a lot better than the rest of the people left. We're divided as groups and as individuals. You're either a "bad guy" or a "good guy" and there's no in-between. My luck has led me to the "bad guys" since almost all the "good guys" get killed. You get scars from them and I'm riddled with them. The scars serve as a warning sign for other survivors when I thought they would show that I was an easy target. I guess people see that I'm tough but I don't see them that way. I see them as every time I let someone get the upper hand against me. _

_With scars come enemies. Like the world before, enemies single you out and it becomes their mission to make your life a living hell. My enemies are the Hunters and the Claimers. Grant, a man in my little group, was part of a community called Terminus. They seemed to never run out of food but more and more people "disappeared" on runs or kids suddenly died. I think you can see where this is going. They're cannibals and Grant got the hell out of dodge and have been hunting him ever since. We warn people when their heading towards Terminus on the railroad but we're not always near the railroad to warn them. I have my own personal vendetta against them, but that's another day and another story. I also have some beef against the Claimers. They're a group of men that haven't resorted to cannibalism just yet but just barbarism. Their leader gave me the scar on my face that pulls on my lips every time a muscle twitches. We've ran into both groups several times, but the three of us have been safe besides the injuries that don't go further than a couple of cuts and bruises. _

_You don't decide what you become anymore, the world decides that for you. I don't know if I'll ever be able to get revenge on the Hunters for what they did to me. I know revenge is poisonous but sometimes it's necessary. I don't know if I'll live to see tomorrow. I don't know what else is out there. I don't know what else I have to live for. So why do I keep going? Even God doesn't know that. _

_One day, someone will pick up this journal. Maybe it's the new generation that has restored order to the chaos or just another survivor like me. This is an account of a woman surviving and what has happened to the world so that it can be passed on and recorded in the history books. So, sit down and read because this might either be the first few pages or the whole damn journal. My name is Amber Monroe, and this is my story._


	2. Chapter 1

Hello everyone! Thank you for checking out _Entries_! I decided to take a different spin on it so it's different from the rest of my stories. _The Road_ by Cormac McCarthy actually inspired me after a long time of not writing so I have to give credit to McCarthy for helping me out hahaha! I hope you enjoy it! Thanks for the reviews, follows, and favorites! Please review and as always, happy reading!

Chapter 1

_Well, we made it after the first day of writing. So, let's do some introductions shall we? My name is Amber Monroe, 29 years old, and I was a forensic scientist. No kids, no husband, no boyfriend, no girlfriend. Guess that's a good thing now, I don't have as many people to mourn. I was going to Atlanta when the outbreak hit but I didn't quite make it. I was closer than most when the bombs hit and I think that's when I knew the world had ended. _

"Amber!"

_Grant Chelsea is 35 and the oldest in our little group. He was a father of one before the world ended. His wife had divorced him and he got full custody of Gwen. But she got bit while they were on their way to Atlanta from Daphne, Alabama and he has no idea what happened to his ex-wife. I met him about nine months into the outbreak after he saved my life from a horde of walkers._

"What's up?" she asked.

"I can't find the damn kid." He grumbled and she laughed.

_Kaidan is who Grant dubs as "the damn kid". He's the youngest and the last member of our group. Being only 19, he's already seen a lot. He had to kill his parents about a year and a half into the outbreak. I found him in a small house with a knife in his hand and two dead bodies on either side of him. I cleaned him up, and let him come with me. That kid can fight though, I've seen him kill a walker with his bare hands. He's still a kid a heart, which is a gift to have. _

Amber slid the journal in the bag and stood up from the log she was sitting on.

"He couldn't have gone far." She stated and they began to walk. She whistled out and looked around the Georgia woods. She sighed and whistled out again. Something hit her head from above and an acorn fell at her feet. She looked up and huffed in annoyance with her hands on her hips.

"Sorry." Kaidan called out and climbed down from the tree.

"Really?"

"You're supposed to stay with the group kid." Grant stalked away and the two watched him snatch up the bag.

"He hates me." Kaidan mumbled.

"He does not." Amber rolled her eyes. "But he is right. You need to whistle back when I whistle, understand?"  
"Yes m'am!" Kaidan saluted.

"Shut up." Amber laughed. "Come on, we need to get to town today."

"There's one not too far from here." Grant told them and tossed Kaidan his pack. Kaidan pulled his long brown hair from under his pack so it didn't pull.

"You have a hair tie?" He asked and Amber reached into her pocked to pull it out.

"Maybe you should just cut your hair." Grant suggested.

"I like my hair this way."

"You look like a damn lesbian." Grant retorted.

"Alright you two." Amber mediated. "Come on, we have to go."

_They boys are always like that. It's truly a dysfunctional, but also functional, father/son relationship. Kaidan owes Grant. Grant really took him under his wing when we found him about a year and a half ago. Grant's always looked after Kaidan. Maybe Kaidan has that spirit his daughter had? That's just my assumption though. Grant doesn't like to talk about his daughter. Anyways, Kaidan always thinks that Grant doesn't like him but Grant is just hard on him. He really does love "the damn kid"._

They walked out from the woods and onto the road. The town was small but it was worth a look. Amber pulled up her balaclava mask that was cut to show only the upper half of her face, just like Grant's and Kaidan's. The cold breeze hit her from the tepid air and blew some of her Auburn hair up from the ponytail. She sighed as her boots crunched some of the fallen leaves on the old country road. It was getting colder and that was never good. It meant that they would have to find a place to stay for the winter. If the fall was any indication, it was going to be a fucking bitter winter. They were already stockpiling their secret location with any type of food that they could.

_Our secret location, or "stash", is a little bunker near a little country store. It's always too covered up for anyone to find and it's rigged with traps so no one can get our things. Cruel? Maybe, but at least we're not eating people. We just keep a little bit of everything, but leave some for the others. That's better than what a lot of people would do now. _

"Ugh, how much longer?" Kaidan whined.

"Shut the hell up." Grant demanded.

"This seems to be getting worse every day, boys." Amber commented.

"You gettin' tired of it?' Grant asked through his mask.

"I am actually, and we just started out." She replied. Grant shook his head and looked in front of him. He had his bow and arrows on his back, Kaidan carried the back pack, and Amber had her daggers on her back.

She took in their surroundings as they walked along the cracked road. She looked for any signs of a walker or other predator nearby. No growls, no crunching footsteps, not so much as a peep was made by the world. It was all too serene and that was never a good thing.

"Let's pick it up a little." She commanded and picked her feet up faster. She continued to swivel her head around to search for any sign of danger. She looked to her right and saw a small trailer and pointed towards it. "If things go wrong, head back here. It's only about five minutes away."

"Will you relax? It's actually okay to be out for once." Kaidan commented and she scoffed.

"Yeah right." They soon made it to the town and looked at the bleached signs. It didn't take as long as Kaidan had anticipated so he kept his mouth shut the rest of the way.

"There's really nothing here, is there?" Grant asked as he looked around.

"Still worth a look." Kaidan replied.

"Alright, let's stick together this time." Grant said and held his bowie knife. "Which one should we hit first?"

"Looks like there's a pharmacy. They might have some medicine and granola bars." Amber observed and took her daggers out from the sheaths on her back. "Grant, take point. Kaidan, you're in the middle."

"Got it." Grant nodded as they fell in line and opened the door to the pharmacy. The musk filled their senses immediately and they could tell it had been abandoned for quite some time. "Some light would be nice, kid."

"Sorry." Kaidan fumbled with the pack until her flipped out the flashlight and turned it on. "Better?"

"Much."

"Come on, you two." Amber rolled her eyes as she looked behind her. "Anything?"

"Nothing up front." Grant called back as he looked around.

"Nothing behind." Amber replied.

"I don't see anything." Kaidan reported. "Kit-kat bars!" Amber chuckled and hit him lightly with her elbow.

"Grab some. Just share some with me." Kaidan grabbed five packs and put them in the food compartment of the bag.

"None for me?" Grant asked.

"You're allergic to chocolate, asshole." Kaidan snapped back. "See some Midol."

"Grab five of those." Grant commented and Kaidan laughed. Amber snatched package and stuffed it in the pack.

"Y'all try bleedin' out of your penises for a week."

"Come on! We're joking!" Kaidan defended and Grant smiled.

"Love ya, baby girl." They were in there for half an hour, surprised that there were no walkers in the building. They were able to get a good haul of supplies to put in their stash.

"Too heavy?" Amber asked and Kaidan shook his head.

"Good." Grant told him. "Cuz your carryin' it all the way back." Kaidan sighed and looked over at Amber and mouthed 'he hates me'. Amber just waved him off and he smirked. Grant stopped walking towards the entrance and held his hand up in a fist. Amber's brows furrowed and crept up next to Grant. She looked at him and he pointed out into the world.

"Shit." Amber cursed softly as she saw the Claimers walking into the town.

"Spread out!" Joe ordered. "See what you can find!"

"Not really keen on subtlety." Kaidan mumbled. "Looks like they've got a new recruit."

"Seems like Joe's taken a liking to him too. See how close he is." Amber observed. They watched as they all dispersed except for Joe and the new recruit. He had longer brown hair and a crossbow strapped to his back. He looked unsure of something and was always watching what the others were doing. He must've just joined because he didn't trust the others.

"Alright, how're we gonna get out of here?" Grant sighed as he ran a hand through his prematurely peppered hair.

"Back exit's blocked by something, already checked." Kaidan replied. "All the windows are rusted and wouldn't open."

"Only way out is towards them." Amber shook her head. "Alright, I got this. Think you can waste an arrow?"

"Get one back for me." Grant sighed and handed an arrow to her. "I say we just put it in his head."

"Can't kill him, we're outnumbered and out gunned." Amber explained. "You two'll go back to that little trailer. Give me a minute to climb up that building. When the attention is on me, you two run as fast as you can." Kaidan reached for his pistol and held it up.

"You got back up if you need it." She nodded and snuck out and scaled to the diner next to the pharmacy. She climbed up the dumpster and gripped a pipe on the outside of the building. She put her weight on it and moved her feet up the wall until she could propel herself up onto the roof. The overcast let the shadows disappear for the day as she stalked over to the opposite edge to view the leader. She looked back at the pharmacy and held up her hand in a fist with the arrow. She threw it down and it landed in the ground next to the recruit.

"Goddammit!" Joe yelled and the people all ran out.

"The hell is that?" The new guy asked as she stood up.

"Girl we've been hunting for a long time." Joe pulled out his gun and Amber slid off the roof, using the tarp over the door as a slide.

Amber just shook her head and pointed at the gun.

"She's right boss. We've already made too much noise." One of the guys said. Joe smirked at her and her brows furrowed even more as she scowled under the mask. She heard a floorboard creak behind her and her eyes widened as she realized what was going on. She ducked in time to miss the swing of a bat by one of his men. She stabbed his knee cap and he wailed in pain. He fell to the ground, her dagger ripping out of his knee, and she stood back up with her chest heaving under her black tank top.

"Fuck." She whispered. That really didn't go as planned. She was just going to distract them, not injure them. She looked back at the group, then back down at the man. She didn't know what else to do, so she bolted.

"Get her!" Joe commanded. She looked behind her and saw Kaidan and Grant hurrying out of the pharmacy.

"Don't do anything stupid." She whispered to them as though they could hear it and ran into the woods. Fallen branches were whipping at her legs and arms. Walkers in the distance turned to face her but they didn't chase after her.

"Get back here you stupid bitch!"

"Stupid whore!"

She to look for a tree to climb easily so that she could at least wait for them to run by. She heard them behind her and hid behind a fat trunk. She was cutting it real close this time and she knew that she had to find a place or she would surely die.

"_Shit shit shit!"_

She looked up and saw at least the starting point. She put her hands in the whole of the tree and pulled up with all of her might. She felt something squish under her fingers and she grimaced. She pushed up with the toes of her foot against the trunk and barely grabbed a branch. The rest was easy as she looked down and waited as they all passed the tree she was in. She sighed as she saw Joe run by and rested her head against the tree. She wiped the sweat from her brow and rested her daggers against her legs. Her pony tail was now loose and everywhere and she could feel her feet pounding.

"Too close, Monroe." She took deep breaths to try and calm herself down. She was getting close to recomposing herself when she realized the threat wasn't over.

_Thunk_

She bolted upright, and almost off the branch, as an almost hit her head. It was embedded in the tree and she looked down to see the new recruit. She growled and slid out of the tree, slipping from one branch to the next. She landed on the ground with a hand down to keep her balance. She looked up at him and he had his crossbow trained on her. She stood up slowly, feeling her muscles rolling one by one. She never broke his gaze as she stared down.

"Nice 'n easy." He drawled out.

She was extremely close to the weapon as she thought out her next move and the scenarios on how the situation would turn out ran through her head. She didn't have much time, so she had to choose one quickly. She couldn't run again, he would have the upper hand. She knocked the crossbow up with her elbow and made him shoot up into the air. He didn't fall down, but she had at least disarmed him. She tried to hit him in the side but he used his weapon as a shield and knocked one of her daggers out of her hand. Instead of using her other knife, she punched him square in the jaw, then used the hilt of her knife to hit him in the hand. He dropped the crossbow from the impacts and she dove for her other dagger. He grabbed her arm and twisted it so that she would have to drop her dagger. She whined in pain and he pulled her to his chest. She stomped her boot on his foot and elbowed him in the gut with her free arm. That knocked the breath out of him and he let go of her. She grabbed her knife and tackled him as he tried to catch his breath. She held it to his throat and he looked up at her with glacier blue eyes. She pressed the cold blade against his throat and he closed his eyes. She pulled it away and stood up. She reached for her other dagger and sheathed them behind her back.

"Ya ain't gonna kill me?" He asked and she shook her head. He slowly stood up but didn't reach for his crossbow.  
"I'm giving you a chance to get away from those men alive." She warned him. "Next time we meet, I won't be so generous." She brushed past him, knowing he wouldn't try to kill her now.

"What do they do?" She turned around to face him one last time.

"You'll find out soon enough, angel." She answered. "Better get back to them. Just tell them I was gone, it wouldn't be the first time they let me get away." She turned back around to head back to that little trailer and prayed that her group would still be there. But before she could, he grabbed her arm again and pulled her back around. She felt an enormous amount of force being added to her face and she knew she had been punched. She fell on her ass as she grabbed at her jaw.

"Can't do that. Ya've killed Mike." He growled out. "Think he'll be able to walk 'gain?" She stood up as he began to reload his crossbow.

"You don't owe them anything, angel, and I gave you a chance." She told him. She grabbed the branch and pulled herself up into the tree. There were still a lot of dying leaves so she could hide within them as she snuck over to the tree behind him. He had reloaded his weapon by the time she found her bearings and a steady spot in the tree directly above him. He searched around for her and she pounced on him. She dropped from the tree and landed on him, pinning him once again on his back. Her arms flexed as she threw the bow away from him.

"Dixon!" She heard Joe yelled and she knew she couldn't kill 'Dixon' today. She reached behind him and grabbed an arrow.

"Claimed."

XXXXX

It was late afternoon by the time she had made it to the trailer. She pulled down her mask and smiled weakly at Kaidan. He ran up to her and engulfed her in a hug.

"I wasn't sure if you made it." He whispered and she hugged him back.

"You doubted me?" She teased. He pulled away and gave her a serious look.

"That was too close, Amber."

"He's right." Grant called out. Amber moved to him and hugged him tightly. "Oh, honey." He looked at her jaw, which was already turning a light shade of purple. "Anything else?"

"No, just that." She told him.

"Your face is takin' too much. First that scar, now that." Grant commented and she smirked.

"Good thing I don't have anyone to impress anymore." She shrugged and he shook his head.

"We'll spend the night here." Kaidan instructed. "They've got some dried ramen we could eat."

"What about water? I'm about to die." She asked. "Grant! I gotcha an arrow!"

"Can't really use it." He replied as he observed it.

"But, I replaced the arrow." She pointed out.

"You keep it, maybe make it into a trophy." He suggested. She just shrugged and snatched the journal out of the pack as she head inside the trailer.

_I'm beginning to question what category I belong in or what we all belong in when it comes to "good guys" and "bad guys". I didn't have to kill Dixon, but I seriously thought about it. If Joe hadn't yelled for him, I probably would've killed him. I keep going over the different scenarios in my head about what I could've done differently instead of what happened. When I was first rethinking it, I thought maybe we all just could've snuck out. The risk would have been too high and one of the Claimers would've seen us. But the day is done and I can't change anything about it. I'm just left to ponder what I really am anymore. Let me tell you, it's the worst thing in the world not knowing who or what you are. You don't know how you contribute to the world or if you even contribute at all. You're just there. You're just a model for the world of one of the things you could become. _

_I guess we can end this little chapter on a note with more closure. That Dixon guy needs to figure out what he's dealing with now, or he's gonna end up dead. I just hope the next time I see him, he isn't with the Claimers and he doesn't attack me on sight. Something tells me he's got more on his plate than just anger issues._


	3. Chapter 2

Please review!

Chapter 2

_Day 2 of writing. It's pretty early in the morning right now. I can't sleep but the others have no problem so I decided to just take watch and let Kaidan get the extra sleep. There's only a couple of nights like this where I can't seem to shut my brain up and just enjoy an hour or two of unconsciousness. I just can't stop thinking about today and that Dixon guy. He didn't seem to trust the Claimers but yet he did everything he was asked to do. Are we all just turning into thoughtless bodies like the walkers? See, this is what I'm talking about. I get all philosophical and shit when really I should just see things as they are. He just needed a group for protection, that's it. _

_Anyways, I'm not sure what our plan is right now. We really just need to stock pile more things for winter and start finding a place to camp out until it's warm enough to drift around again. I got my eyes on this house that looks pretty much abandoned. It's huge too, one of those old plantation houses. It even has some wells so there's fresh water. We've already cleared it out, we just need to move in once we're ready. The little stock pile is not too far from it either. It's pretty much ideal._

_That's a rule that you have to live by now. You can't stay out during the winter or you'll die. You have to find a safe place. Even though you can't stay in one place for too long, you have to stay in one place for winter or you're fucked. In the first year, a lot of survivors found that out the hard way. The first winter was not as harsh as it could've been but it was still pretty bad. At that point in time, it was just me. I had been alone for maybe a month and the outbreak had happened six months from that point in time. Being alone in the world really makes you realize how much people mean, and that's a lot coming from an introvert. Back to the subject at hand, I almost died that first winter until Grant caught me and took care of me. He gave me warm food, blankets, and protection. He told me that it would just be during the winter, but then he wanted to stick together. I couldn't stand another day of being alone so I accepted his offer._

"What're you writin'?" Grant groggily asked as he woke up. He rubbed his eyes and scratched at his short beard.

"Just writin'." Amber shrugged. "Go back to sleep, the sun isn't even up yet."

"Nah, I'm awake now." He replied and crawled out of the blanket. She was sitting out on the porch with the door open to let the air circulate and keep a watch on them. He joined her and sat down as the moon shone as natural light. He looked over at Kaidan whose mouth was open and his arms were sprawled out. Grant sniffed in laughter and shook his head.

"Such a beautiful boy." She mused.

"Hey, you should've seen yourself when you were drugged up on Nyquil last year." Grant punched her shoulder lightly.

"That stuff is like 90% alcohol."

"It's a sedative." He chuckled. There was a comfortable silence between them for a moment or two as he draped an arm around her shoulders. "You've been off since you got back."

"Whaddya mean?"

"You just seem different, is all." He explained. She sighed and nodded.

"I can't stop thinkin' about yesterday, Grant." She admitted.

"Stop thinkin' about it, then." He instructed casually. "Trust me, either of us would probably get close to killin' him too in that situation baby girl."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." She replied. Grant got out a pack of smokes from his back pocket and Amber shook her head. "Come on, we were having a good moment right then." Grant chuckled and got his lighter out and lit one up.

"Here." He handed her the cigarette after he'd taken a drag. "One won't kill ya and I think cigs are the last thing to worry about killin' ya." She observed the little stick then took it between her thumb and index finger. She brought it to her lips and took a drag. She blew it out shakily, but didn't cough like the movies would entail. "Verdict?"

"Not good, but it ain't bad." She shrugged. "Mind if I keep this one?"  
"Not at all." He brought out another one for himself. The cycle started again as he puffed more smoke. "Stale, but still good."

"Did you ever try to quit?" She asked before she took another drag. He blew out some smoke in rings then waved them away.

"I actually quit when Gwen was born. Took it back up when the end of the world began."

"Guess there's worse things to get hooked on." She mused.

"Ain't so bad once you get used to it. Could be hooked on meth." He reasoned. She blew out the smoke and watched it float away with the cold breeze. "What was your vice?"

"When I realized the world had ended, I really just wanted one of those fruity little drinks." Grant laughed but coughed as he choked on the smoke.

"Really?"

"Is that so surprising?" She laughed softly.

"Just wouldn't take you as that kinda girl." He admitted.

"Oh come on, you wanted one of those drinks from time to time." She rolled her eyes. He tugged her closer to him as he shrugged.

"Can't say no to that."

"Will y'all shut up?" Kaidan grumpily moaned. They looked back to see his hair all messed up as he flopped the other way so his back was towards them.

"God, I hate teenagers." Grant sighed.

"Me too." Amber whistled.

"I heard that!" Kaidan called out and the adults laughed.

"Go back to sleep, kid. Mom and I are just talkin'." Grant joked and Kaidan huffed before he laid his head back down on the lumpy pillow. "We need to get him a girl or somethin'."

"Well, take your pick."

"Smart ass." He grumbled and she chuckled.

"He doesn't need a girl, he just needs a hobby. Maybe once we're in that house we can get him hooked on something besides cigarettes." She had reached the end of hers and stomped it out on the ground with her boot.

"You sure ya haven't smoked before?" Grant asked. "You smoked that thing like a pro." Grant stomped his little stub out too and she shrugged.

"I'm an enigma, Grant Chelsea."

"Yeah, yeah." He waved his hands in dismissal. "Go to sleep, baby girl. I'll keep watch." She kissed his cheek and went to go sleep under the blanket next to Kaidan.

"You think there's a girl out there, Amber?" Kaidan mumbled sleepily. "Other than you, of course." Amber wasn't facing him as she thought about his question.

_Even though he knows what things are like nowadays, Kaidan still likes to think that some things are still the same. He likes to think that he'll meet a nice girl, get married, and have lots of babies together. He still has that mindset that I sometimes wish I still had. I really need to tell him the truth, but he has that gift we talked about earlier. I can't crush that._

"Maybe, you never know what's out there."

"I told y'all to go to sleep." Grant called back and Kaidan scoffed.

"He's the one that won't shut up."

"I heard that!" Grant replied.  
"Meant for you to!"

"For God's sake!"

XXXX

Amber woke up to someone shaking her shoulder. She groaned and turned over, only getting a few more hours' worth of sleep.

"Come on, wake up." Kaidan told her.

"How about no?"

"Amber."

"What's going on?" She asked.

"We just need to get moving. Some walkers are closing in." He explained and she sighed.

"Gettin' up." She told him. She rubbed her eyes and sat on her knees. Grant was already packing some of the dried ramen into the pack and Kaidan was wrapping up his arms and hands with tape. She picked up her daggers from the nearby coffee table and strapped them back on.

"Ready?" Grant asked as he adjusted the pack on his shoulders. The two nodded as they set out for another day. Amber shrugged her little green jacket closer together as they walked. Grant walked in front while the other two hung back.

"You really meant what you said last night? You think there's a girl out there?" Kaidan suddenly blurted out. Amber sighed and pulled her mask up.

"Why are you talkin' about girls all of a sudden?" She asked and he shrugged.

"I'm curious myself, kid." Grant told them.

"I dunno, I'm jus' thinking about things." He mumbled and Amber pressed her lips together.

"What's this really about?" She asked and put a hand on his shoulder.

"I…it's stupid."

"Maybe, but if ya get it out, you'll feel better." Grant replied.

"I want more, is all. I wanted what I expected before."

"You want the world back." Amber finished and he nodded. She played with a little bit of his hair before she pulled away from him. "You might get that one day, Kaidan." Grant was silent and didn't say anything else.

"Yeah…yeah." Kaidan murmured.

"Hey, kid, why don't you check out the area for any place to rest." Kaidan nodded and ran over to a tall tree. Grant came closer to Amber as she ruminated over the advice.

"I know, I know. I shouldn't have said it." She shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Then why did you tell him?"

"He's got nothin' left besides thinkin'." Amber answered.

"See anything?"

"Nothin' other than a lake." Kaidan replied as he climbed from the tree. "Alright, we need a game plan."

"Read my mind." Amber commented.

"We just need to get a few more things for winter. Just a little bit more food should do us some good. We should probably check the storage unit today." Grant suggested.

"Sounds good to me." Amber replied. "But…"

"But?"

"A bath sounds good right now." She replied and Grant rolled his eyes.

"You'll freeze."

"We'll just be quick and get warmed up. Besides, we need to wash off." Amber replied and Kaidan nodded in agreement.

"You go first. Kaidan, where's the lake?"

XXXX

Amber's clothes were folded on the ground near the shore of the lake as she was shoulder deep in the cold water. She ducked under to wash off her hair and use the bar of soap they carried to wash off her body and wash her hair. She knew she could only stay in for a maximum of five minutes so she made it quick and scrubbed vigorously. She actually wanted to stay in for a while. The water was warming up with the sun finally being out after days of being hidden. Suds floated around her as she went to float on her back and closed her eyes. Her hair swirled around her in a dark curtain.

"Time's up!" Grant called out. She knew he wasn't being pushy, they just couldn't stay that vulnerable for that long. She swam out of the middle and towards her clothes. She dried off with a towel they kept in the pack and only used it to dab herself off. She kept her hair soaking so that the others could use it. She pulled all of her clothes back on and laced her boots.

"Water's warmer." She told Kaidan and Grant as she passed them. She sat down on a log and turned away from the lake. She pulled out her journal and the cheap pen to begin writing again.

_You really don't realize what you have until it's gone. It goes for everything: family, friends, hot water, electricity, decent food. I guess if the world ever does return to normal, and I'm still alive, I'm never taking anything for granted again. When Kaidan found those kit-kat bars, I think I took it as the second coming of Jesus. I guess this is kind of turning into a book on what values to take in life. Maybe it won't be just the journal of a survivor, maybe it'll be a book of values._

_So how did a forensic scientist end up being a survivor? Well, I used to work down in Atlanta at the laboratory down there. I left just as people were telling others to get to the city. People told me I was crazy for leaving, that I should just stay and wait. There was something inside me telling me to leave the city, to get the hell out. I told them I had to check on some things, then I would be back. Back then, I had more people to check on. I had my parents to worry about, my friends, my sister. I couldn't just stay in the city and pray that they would make it. By the time I got back, there was a line out the door and the city was on fire. Sure, I had friends in the laboratory but after a while they soon evaporated from my mind. I don't really think about them all that much anymore. My boss was a dick, that leering pervert was a dick, but there were some people that weren't too bad. I mostly kept to myself and focused on my work. My work consisted of DNA, fingerprints, ballistics, the whole she-bang. I dabbed here and there with anthropology. _

_Back to what I was saying, after I crossed the meridian to turn away from the city I stayed at one of my friend's house. I knew where there key was and they were either in that line or in Atlanta. I only stayed there maybe a month before the walkers started making their way from the city. That's when I went in. Being the idiot I am, I went into the city. I just wanted to see if anyone from the laboratory made it out. I took me a while, but I got in. No one made it. Everyone either opted out or let themselves become walkers. I put them down, said a prayer, then took what could help me. I didn't stay long but I did have a close encounter. Some idiot must've had the same idea I had but brought extra meet. I walked further into the city, and there was half a horse lying on the ground with every walker in the city going after it. First, only a couple saw me. Then, they all saw me. I was lucky I knew my way around the city or else I would've died. I just had climb and jump on roofs before I could get out of the city and make my way back to the house that I had boarded up. _

"Yo, we're done!" Kaidan called out as he pulled on his thermal shirt. Amber marked the page and slid it back into the pack.

"Come on, we got some huntin' to do." Grant told them. "Let's go get the guns."

XXXX

"_Amber! Don't let them do this! Wake up! We've got company! Wake up!"_

Amber gasped and sat up from her sleeping bag. She wiped her sweaty brow and looked over at Kaidan.

"What?" She asked.

"Uh…we've got activity outside. Doesn't look like Terminus or Claimers." He explained warily as he held on to her shoulder.

"Then who is it?" She asked as she got out of her bag.

"Come look." Grant motioned and she came over to the window of the small shack they had found. There were about four men, all fully grown, and a teenage girl with her eyes covered by a rag.

"Can't be more than sixteen." She observed.

"Shoulda just stayed quiet, ya lil' bitch!" One man said and made her kneel down on the ground. She was sobbing with her tears staining her dirty yellow polo shirt.

"We gotta do somethin'." Grant told them. Amber looked around the area and nodded. "Got somethin'?"

"You stay back here, you'll know what to do. Kaidan, in the bushes behind the fatty." Amber instructed.

"Yes m'am." He replied and snuck out of the shack.

"I'll take on the Italian." She hurried over to the bush and waited. Kaidan was already in position and she held up two fingers out of the bush.

"Please!" The girl pleaded in a shrill voice. Amber crooked down her fingers and they quickly grabbed the men and pulled them back. Amber grabbed his head and tilted it until she heard a sickening crack. He fell limp and she backed away from him.

"Uh, boss!" The man shakily warned.

"Ya shoulda jus' known yer place. Ya shoulda thanked us." The other man continued. A shot rang through the air as the minion fell to the ground with a bullet in his head. The teenager screamed as the leader looked around. "Whut the hell?"

"Y'know, you shouldn't talk to a lady that way." Amber sang as she walked out of the bushes. The man trained his gun on her and she put her hands on her hips. "I'm giving you a chance, string bean."

"Ya ain't gettin' one from me."

"Or me." Kaidan said and the man turned around. Kaidan punched him right in the temple then kicked him in the gut. He fell to the ground as the artery in his head ruptured. Kaidan bent down and checked his pulse. "He's dead." Grant ran out and looked around.

"We better hurry, walkers probably heard the shot and the scream."

Amber hurried over to the girl and took off the blindfold. The girl's eyes were wide as she sobbed.

"Grant."

Grant ran over and cut off the ropes on her wrists.

"Are you alright?" Amber asked. The girl didn't answer and rubbed her wrists. "We just saved you, we're not gonna hurt you. Are you alright?"

"Y-yes." She answered.

"What's your name?" Grant asked. The girl didn't answer, just looked around at the three of them.

"I'm Kaidan."

"Grant."

"I'm Amber. Will you please tell us your name?"

"My name is Beth." She answered shakily. A loud groan was heard and Grant grabbed the girl's arm.

"You wanna live, stick with us for now. We gotta go."


	4. Chapter 3

Hey guys! Sorry I haven't posted in a while! Thanks for all the views on this story! Please review! Thanks and happy reading!

Chapter 3

_Thump_

The last walker fell to the ground as Amber sunk her dagger into its brain. She looked around the small general store to make sure there were no other walkers before she started to drag it outside. The girl was sitting on the ground with her knees huddled up to her chest.

"She's seen some shit." Grant mumbled as he dragged another walker outside.

"Seems like it."

"I think she'll leave first chance she gets." He added.

"Or she'll be stuck to us like glue. We may be the first good people she's seen in a while." She suggested. Kaidan dragged out the last walker and looked over at the other teenager.

"It's clear." He told her. "We'll make a fire, you can go to sleep or somethin'." Grant grabbed the small logs and pulled out his lighter. He walked inside and started setting up camp.

"Do you have anything to eat?" She asked shyly.

"Of course." Amber replied. "Do you mind broth, though? We're tryin' to save the meat for winter."

"I don't mind at all."

"It'll be warm too." Kaidan added. A light went off in the background as Grant successfully lit the logs. Beth nodded and stood up.

"Thank you." Amber grabbed the pot from the pack and poured some chicken broth in it as she walked over.

"You mind eatin' from the pot?" Grant asked.

"No."

"Good." He grunted. Beth sat down on one of the sleeping bags and looked down at the fire blankly.

"Can we ask you a few questions?" Kaidan asked.

"No, not now." Amber interrupted.

"It's alright." Beth said softly. Kaidan and Grant looked over at Amber with pointed looks. Amber cleared her throat and sat next to Beth.

"What did those men do to you?" She asked warily. Beth looked over at her then tilted her head.

_Beth's been through a lot and she's only seventeen. She met her group when they stumbled across her farm. First, she lost her brother-in-law. When walkers over took the farm, she lost her eldest sister. They were on the road for the next six months and even through the winter without a casualty. After that, they cleared out the prison. I didn't know if I believed that part because the prison was crawling with walkers. I mean, if it wasn't, the guys and I would be staying there right now. But, she went into detail about it and I knew she wasn't lying. The Governor, from Woodbury, was their main problem._

_Alright, here we go. The Governor was a man that lead a small refugee town. We never had a real problem with him other than him trying to steal from our stash. He quickly wised up and left us alone with the traps and the threats from us. I could tell he wasn't all there, and Beth proved that._

_He attacked the prison twice. Once, with all of his town but was defeated. The second time, with a new group and a tank. He killed her father right in front of her and her older sister. The prison was destroyed and she had to leave with a man named Daryl. They seemed safe for a few days before the funeral home they were staying got over run with walkers and she was kidnapped. She has no idea where Daryl, or the rest of her group, is. _

_The men that kidnapped her just hit her. They didn't rape her or anything like that, though, it sounded like it was about to become that. When she started defying them, that's when they took her out into the woods. She said it was just those men, no one else. We don't have to worry about any others looking out for revenge._

_Poor kid, I don't think she knows how to handle this sort of thing and I don't know what her next move is. I have some hope that she'll stay with us. She can't be alone out there. I don't think she knows how to fight. She needs to stay long enough to figure out how to defend herself, or else she'll die within the hour._

"Hey." Grant rasped. Amber looked away from the journal and back to him. He shook his head as he looked at her and her brows furrowed.

"What?"

"Ya need to get some sleep." He told her. She nodded and closed the journal. "C'mon." She stomped out the fire and pulled her mask down. She looked at the two teenagers and smirked. Kaidan was sprawled out, Beth was curled in a ball. Amber walked over to Grant and lied down next to him. She wrapped an arm around his waist and rested her head on his chest. "Ya okay?"

"Yeah, just thinkin'." She answered as he covered her with a blanket. "You still think she'll leave first chance she gets?"

"Nah. I think she'll stay a little longer. Seems like we're the first people to offer her a place to stay." He replied. "Stop chattin' and go to sleep, woman."

"Goodnight, Grant."

XXXXX

Amber woke up to Grant slipping away. She groggily opened her eyes but quickly shut them when the sun momentarily blinded her.

"Kids up?" She sat up and stretched.

"Not yet. We should start packin' up." She rolled up the sleeping pack they found in the store and put it back on a shelf. She picked up the can of broth from the night before and walked outside to chuck it. They couldn't leave any trace of them being there or else that could lead to unwanted visitors. "Hey!" She turned to see Grant at the door. "Don't forget the mask."

"Yes, chief." She replied and he rolled his eyes. She pulled the mask up over the tip of her nose and continued inside. Kaidan was awake by then and was looking over at Beth.

"Don't get any ideas, lover boy." Grant warned.

"She's really pretty." Kaidan admitted.

"Give her some space, Kaidan. I don't want you to make her feel she isn't safe. We're probably the only people she's felt safe with since the attack on the prison. Lay off for a while. Don't flirt right away." Amber instructed.

"I know. I'll try not to be creepy. I don't want to scare her off." He admitted and rolled up the sleeping bag.

"Think it'll work?" She asked Grant quietly.

"Eh."

"Thought so."

Amber looked out the window and looked up at the sky. It was overcast, meaning it would be a chilly day. She could still tell it was early morning by the wetness of the grass that was growing like crazy from the huge storm a couple of days before. She knew they would have to give moving into the house a little while longer because of the newcomer. They had just met, they didn't know what Beth would bring to them. Until then, they would just have to survive a little bit longer without a permanent shelter.

"Make sure to wear jackets." She told the group as she walked over. She slipped on her dark green _Free People_ jacket. She looked down at the sleeping teenager and bent down next to her. She cupped her shoulder and shook it lightly. "Beth? Wake up." Her eyes slowly opened to meet Amber's rich brown eyes.

"What's going on?" She asked groggily.

"We just need to get moving." Amber replied and stood straight. Beth rubbed her eyes, then came out of the bag. Kaidan rolled it up for her as Grant took a jacket off the rack.

"Ain't the prettiest thing, but it'll keep ya warm." He said and she served him a small smile.

"Thank you." She slipped it on and pulled her blonde hair over it. She began to braid it over her shoulder as Grant picked up the pack. They walked out of the store and Amber glanced over her shoulder to make sure everything was the way it was before.

"I guess you have a lot of questions for us, huh?" Kaidan asked as they walked out.

"Well, yeah." She replied.

"Fire away, little lady." Grant offered.

"Will you take off your masks?" She asked and they stopped for her.

"We wear them so we don't swallow walker blood, if that's what you're wondering." Amber explained.

"No, I just want to see your faces." She admitted. The three looked at each other, and then Kaidan slipped his down.

"I was a high school student. Pretty damn good kid, if I do say so myself. I'm Kaidan Peoples and I'm nineteen years old." He looked over at Grant and elbowed him. Grant grunted but pulled his mask down anyway.

"Grant Chelsea, 35, aerospace engineer." Amber pulled hers down next and Beth's eyes widened at the scar the littered Amber's face.

"Amber Monroe, 29 years old, forensic scientist." Beth nodded at the people that had saved her as she took in the information. "I was attacked by a group of men. The leader gave me the scar."

"I'm sorry for starin'." She told Amber meekly.

"Don't sweat it." She pulled her mask back up and tilted her head at the teenager. "We need to get you a mask."

"Where to?" Grant asked as he pulled his back on.

"Sports store?" Kaidan suggested and she nodded. "Let's get outta here. C'mon Beth, ask questions on the way."

"Be quiet though." Grant warned.

"Yeah. Um, why did y'all save me."

"Cuz we have some decency left." He answered.

Amber could tell Beth was intimidated by Grant. She wanted to tell him to ease up on her, but he really wasn't doing anything wrong. He talked that way to everyone and Beth would find that out pretty quickly, especially when he talked to Kaidan. A snapping noise pulled them away from their thoughts. They turned to see a walker behind Beth. The walker grabbed her shoulder and she screamed. She kicked and fought it but it wouldn't budge. She really didn't know how to fight, whatsoever. She didn't punch it in the head or anything, she just thrashed. If the walker's hands weren't so decomposed, it would scratch her and she would be doomed. Amber hurried over and dug her dagger into its head. It slumped back and away from them. She pulled out her dagger with a sickening sound and wiped the blood on the torn shirt that was barely hanging on to the body. Beth was breathing hard, almost sobbing as she began to recompose herself. Amber and Grant shared a look that would lead to a private conversation. They waited for her to regain herself before they started walking again.

"How did y'all meet?" She asked quieter than before.

The questions went on for a while, mostly about the post-apocalyptic world. She didn't really delve into what happened before the apocalypse. It took them awhile to get to the sports store.

"Kaidan, stay on guard with Beth. Amber and I'll go inside." He nodded and sat down on the window. The adults went inside with Grant holding the flashlight as they went through. A walker turned and groaned at them. Amber kicked it in the stomach and it fell to the ground. She smashed its head with her boot and winced as brain and blood spewed on the floor. She slipped a little as she walked away and towards the winter sports section.

_I still remember the first walker I ever killed. It was the day I decided to leave the city to try and find my parents to make sure they were safe. I remember her name and everything she did for me. Her name was Clara Oswald, and she had been my neighbor for as long as I lived in my parents' home. She was the sweetest thing in the world, always baking us cookies but also knew how to swear like a sailor. She was what I aspired to be when I grew old and grey. _

_That day, she was standing out in her front yard as I pulled up to my house in the little neighborhood. I walked slowly up to her with my gun in my hand, and I feared the worst had already happened to her. I called her names: Mrs. Oswald, Clara, Ms. Clara. She turned around and snarled at me with a chunk at the front of her throat missing. She started stumbling towards me and I lifted the gun immediately. I tried to get her to snap out of it, even though I knew it was useless. That woman used to be my babysitter…she was part of the family. I did what I had to do. I shot her in the head. The blood splattered behind her, carrying chunks of her head with it. She fell back with an echoing 'thump' and didn't make another move. _

_Now, I've killed almost everyone I ever knew from before. There are some whose fate I don't know. Other than my parents, the other kills are just blurs of what I had to do to live. _

Amber cut off the top part of the mask and observed it. She nodded to herself and looked over at Beth, who was still sitting on the window sill talking to Kaidan. She stalked over to her and handed her the mask. Beth stretched it a little before pulling it over her head, then fitting it back up over her nose. She looked over Kaidan and he smirked.

"It suits you. You look like a real badass." He quipped and she giggled. Amber heard Grant mumble 'Jesus fucking Christ' and smiled under her mask.

"Thanks." Beth told the other teenager.

"Y'all hungry? We didn't eat anything this morning." Amber asked and Beth nodded. Grant reached into the pack and tossed them each a Cliff bar.

"Those things fill ya up pretty good. Don't worry about starvin'. We got plenty of food stashed." Grant eased. Beth nodded as she broke off a small piece and popped it into her mouth. Amber took a bite from the corner of hers as she thought. The wind made goosebumps riddle her body and she huddled her arms together across her chest. She thought about what they needed to do next. They needed to wait before moving into the house because of Beth, but she also contemplated just chancing it so that everyone would be safe and they could all have warm food for once.

"Everything alright?" Kaidan asked and rested his elbow on his knee.

"Beth, are you plannin' on stayin' with us?" She blurted out. Beth was caught off guard and she almost seemed like a turtle crawling back into her shell.

"Well…I…I don't have any other place to go."

"You can stay with us. We just need to know." Amber added so she wouldn't make Beth too scared.

"Just until I find my group, or at least some of them." She answered and Amber nodded. Grant looked over at her and motioned her over. Amber walked away from Beth to have a small discussion and Beth sighed.

"I don't think Grant likes me very much."

"He's like that with everyone." Kaidan assured with his mouth fool. "He's a good guy. He's just…simple when it comes to talking, that's all. He likes things short and sweet."

"It's really okay if I stay with y'all?" She asked.

"Yeah! It'll be cool havin' a g-uh-thing-person my age." He blushed. "'Sides, Amber wouldn't let you freeze. Amber and the rest of us will protect you."

Over on the other side, Grant and Amber lowly talked so that they could only hear each other.

"Should we go on 'head to the house?" Grant asked.

"I've been thinkin' about that too." She admitted. "I just don't know."

"Look, that kid weighs 90 pounds soakin' wet. She can't fight and she couldn't take that walker down on the road. She has no idea what to do. What the hell is she gon' be able to do to us?" Grant reasoned.

"The people from her group."

"What about them?"  
"She was kidnapped from the Daryl guy, remember? What if they stumble into the house in a few days, kill us for thinkin' we're her captors, and take everything we've worked for?"

"We'll handle it. We'll be on guard."

"I know. We can't leave her like this and we're not giving up that house." Amber told him and herself.

"We gotta do this. We're sittin' ducks out here with nothin' coverin' our asses." He said and she nodded. "We gotta start now if we're gettin' back there before dark."

"It might already be too late. It's already dark enough from the clouds."

"We better haul ass, then."

_We made it to the house just in time. Nothing had been touched and our stash was still safe. It took a little while to disable the traps but we eventually got in. Everyone gets their own room, which made Kaidan more excited than when we raided a candy shop. Looks like we've officially started our winter struggle. This year should be a little more interesting. _

A knock at her door pulled Amber away. The wooden desk in her room served nicely and was the main reason she chose that one. She walked over and opened the door to see Beth at the door. Amber leaned against the doorway and folded her arms across her chest.

"Is everything alright, Beth?" She asked and the teenager dug her boot into the wooden floor.

"I-uh-I don't have any pajamas in my room." Amber smirked at her and walked over.

"What's your favorite color?"

"What?"

"Come on, I don't bite." Amber snickered as she opened her dresser. "What's your favorite color?"

"Green."

"Just like your name." Amber pulled out some green pajama pants and a grey t-shirt. She walked back over and handed them to her. "Might be a little big for a string bean like you, but they'll be pretty damn comfy." Beth smiled and laughed a little.

"Thanks."

"No problem, kiddo. Go to sleep."

"Goodnight." Beth told her and Amber just nodded. Beth walked back to her room and Amber closed the door with a sigh. She walked over to her bed and crawled under the covers. Her muscles relaxed in her back as she laid down.

"Yeah Grant, this was a very smart move." She chuckled to herself before sleep took over.

"_Will we be alright, now?"_

"_I promise, kiddo. We'll be alright. Nothing's gonna hurt us."_


End file.
